Office opening of the week: South Miami

October 10, 2012

On the night of September 6th, a small group of neighbors gathered around a television in South Miami to watch Barack Obama accept his party’s nomination for President of the United States. The hosts of the evening, Michael and Chris, along with their daughters Kayla and Trina, have been deeply involved with the President’s re-election campaign, so they invited their friends over for a Democratic National Convention watch party.

By the end of the night, the group made a unanimous decision: They needed a campaign office of their own, in their neighborhood, where they could collaborate and coordinate efforts to help the President win re-election.

Exactly one month later, on October 6th, Michael, Chris, and almost 100 others gathered again—this time, at a transformed storefront on Southwest 70th Street, to celebrate the opening of a brand new Organizing for America office.

They were joined by businessman Russell Simmons, who inspired the crowd with a reminder of how important their work is.

“It’s critical that we get the President re-elected—that we give it all we’ve got,” he said.

The new office has the big windows and bright campaign decorations typical of many Obama 2012 offices, along with an eclectic mix of furniture. South Miami is a small community, often considered separate from Miami proper despite its proximity to the cosmopolitan city. The Neighborhood Team Leader, John, says his community is reflective of not just the campaign, but the country as a whole. “Our diversity—our different experiences, backgrounds and cultures—well, we are America,” he says.

On opening night, there was a feeling of determination in the air as people stood in a long line to sign up for volunteer shifts.

“Everyone wanted to volunteer—whether going door to door, making calls, entering data, even manning the front desk from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Everyone wanted to be a part of it,” John said.

Now that the deadline for registering to vote in Florida has passed, these volunteers are gearing up for the next phases of the campaign—vote by mail, early vote, and finally, Election Day. They’ve got hundreds of volunteer shifts that are filling up quickly, and they’re already training those who will be helping get out the vote in these last few weeks.

With 29 electoral votes at stake in the Sunshine State, this election runs through Florida, and these volunteers are determined to do whatever it takes to get President Obama re-elected.

And now they have a brand-new office in which to do just that. There’s likely an office in your area, too—find it now and volunteer for the final month of this campaign.